


New Vigilantes on the Block

by Jaybirds_Night



Series: The Harper-Todd Home [8]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Hood/Arsenal (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: Dick needs to calm down, Rose being a badass, Rose is a protective big sister
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 17:15:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16268753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaybirds_Night/pseuds/Jaybirds_Night
Summary: In the aftermath of Roy and the kids' visit to the Watchtower, Rose decides that maybe it's time for a visit to the mountain.





	New Vigilantes on the Block

Dick had been hearing a few rumors about the new vigilantes appearing in Gotham. And if he had to guess, Batman probably wasn’t too keen on the idea of new players popping up on his turf. He was a control freak when it came to his city. A big, terrifying 'I am the night and if you don't leave I will break you' kind of control freak.

Except now apparently Batman had started becoming tolerant of them. He was acting almost _protective_ of these new heroes. It was as if he knew them personally or at least one who did. Either way, it confused Dick to no end, so he was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what.

However, it was unknown to him that Batman had already planned on solving the mystery for him... in a way.

When the team arrived at the mountain they were greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar costumed figure (to all but Nightwing) standing beside their boss.

"B, why the hell is Slade's daughter here?" Nightwing asked in an almost growl.

"Nightwing. Stand down." Batman's curt tone made Dick tense. "Team, I'd like you to meet Rose Wilson, codename – Ravager."

"You could have let me introduce myself," Rose muttered with a roll of her eyes. This earned her a few amused snorts from the others.

Batman, on the other hand, ignored her and continued to explain to the team why she was there. "Ravager will be staying with you over the next few days for... _examination_ purposes."

"Basically, I'm going to be hanging out with you guys to see if it meets my fellow vigilantes' standards. Just think of me as the concerned older sister... or aunt— either one works." They all stared at her, confusion written all over their faces.

“You are here for a possible recruitment is what you’re saying?” Kaldur asked hesitantly.

Rose shrugged, “I guess you could call it that."

"How many are we talking then?" Wally seemed excited by the prospect of new blood joining them.

"Nine."

Their eyes widened in disbelief. "Including you?" They only received a shake of the head from the infamous mercenary’s daughter.

Nightwing suddenly looked up at his mentor. "Does this have anything to do with the new vigilantes in Gotham?" His team members appeared shocked by this. They hadn't heard anything about it, let alone seen any on their rare trips to the city.

Before Batman could confirm his suspicion, Ravager snickered. "You mean you didn't tell them? Oh man, are you guys in for a treat." She then smirked at the black caped vigilante and motioned at the team. "I'll let you do the honors."

Batman let out a near inaudible sigh. "Yes, as Nightwing said this does indeed have to do with the new heroes in Gotham. I will not reveal their identities, nor location to you as I respect their fathers' wishes. However, if you see them during future missions in Gotham you are not to approach them. Understood?" They murmur their understanding as questions then began taking shape in the minds of the six teens.

M'gann is the first to speak up, her lips curved into a frown, "We aren't allowed to meet them?"

Ravager shook her head, “Not yet at least. Hood and his other half are paranoid the little ones will be corrupted by a group of masked teenagers.”

Nightwing had stopped listening at the mention of Gotham’s feared crime boss, Red Hood. His once dead brother. “What does Jason have to do with this?”

Rose furrowed her brow and huffed. “Seriously? Is withholding information from your son become a habit, Bats?”

Said person didn't respond, opting to keep quiet on the topic. This only fueled the fire that was Dick's temper.

"You've been in contact with Jason all along and it never occurred to you that maybe you should be sharing this with me?" He exclaimed, face heating up in frustration. "Ever since he disappeared after killing Joker I've been worried sick about him! Then here you are nearly five years later implying you've talked to him?! Without telling me! Do you not trust me anymore? Did you think I'd run off to find him the second you told me—and I won't lie because I would have. I'd have turned Gotham—no, the world—upside down to find him. But... why?" His voice hitched as he forced back tears. "Why did you wait so long?"

Batman moved toward his former partner to rest a firm hand on his shoulder. "Dick," he said, low enough that only Dick or someone with super hearing could make out. "You misunderstood. I haven't talked or even seen Jason since that night. Believe me, I would have told you had I heard from him."

"Then how do you know about him and his... friends?" Dick didn't want to believe his brother had a new family, people who were there to make him smile and laugh. It made him feel like he'd been _replaced_. A very selfish thought for him.

"I spoke with Roy a few months ago during his assessment for rejoining the League."

"You mean the one he declined," Dick added, regaining everyone's attention.

Wally blinked, his friend’s decision catching him off guard. "Roy refused? Why?"

"He didn't want to have to keep dropping everything and leaving each time he was summoned for someone's shitty attempt at world domination. He couldn't do that to Jay and the kids." Rose's clarification was met with hanging jaws and wide eyes.

"What do you mean kids?" Artemis blurted out, followed by Connor's realization of, "Jason and Roy are together?"

The one-eyed vigilante frowned, "I mentioned this just a few minutes ago. Were you off day dreaming?"

"No, I think it's that we were distracted by other matters," Kaldur said.

"Yeah, like the fact that Slade, a deadly mercenary with an extremely high kill count, has a daughter who is standing in our base and apparently isn't a threat!" The whole thing with Ravager and Red Hood's family was making Artemis anxious.

"Point." Rose paused for a beat before she gave an impatient huff. "Ok, I've had enough social interaction for now. I'll answer whatever questions you have after I blow off some steam in the training room, got it?" She then turned around, heading toward said room and casting a flippant wave over her shoulder.

It was then Batman took his leave, his only sign of goodbye a small nod just before entering the zeta tube and disappearing in a flash of light.

The six teenagers stood alone in the empty expanse of the Mountain's interior, trying to figure out what exactly had happened in the minute’s prior.

" _So_ ," Wally said, breaking the silent tension that had engulfed them. "What now?"

Rose, having forgone her uniform for a simple sports bra and sweat pants, drove her right sword into the gut of a lifelike projection of something that looked like a ninja. She then withdrew her other blade barely a second later as she pivoted, cutting the head clean off the second enemy with her left. Vaulting over the next target with a back flip she made quick work of it, stabbing the swords straight threw the abdomen before slicing diagonally in opposite directions—dismembering them.

Exhaling, she let her body cool down from its adrenaline high. Her arms rested at her side, swords angled downward with the tips poking the mat beneath. "I know you're there, no use hiding now," She said aloud. "Guessing you want some answers, huh?" Turning, she met the gazes of five of the six teens. Rose sighed when she noticed who was missing. "Nightwing sulking in his room?"

Wally nodded.

"Oh well, if he wants to miss out on important stuff than that's his decision." Rose then sat down on the mat, gently laying her swords down beside her. When seeing the confused looks of the teens she raised an eyebrow. "Story time is starting, sit your butts on the damn mat."

Artemis huffed, "We aren't in kindergarten!"

"I live with nine children and two men that might as well be children too. You five are no different from them in my eyes... eye. So, I'm gonna to treat you like children and you're gonna to like it. End of story"

"I can't help but feel like your low key threatening us..." Artemis said, her brow furrowed.

"Really? Hmm, Ghoul must be rubbing off on me..." Rose mumbled. Damian, despite only being five—almost six—years old, had a way with subtle and not so subtle threats. She probably picked up on it after a while since she had taken a liking to the demon spawn and spent a lot of time training with him. "Anyway, you may begin asking questions."

“What are their names— code names I mean,” M’gann quickly corrected herself.

“Speedy, Scarlet, Ghoul, Abuse, Spoiler, Echo, Stray, Huntress and Bluebird.”

Connor whistled, "Wow. And they're all theirs?" Rose nodded.

"Speedy is Roy's biological daughter, the rest are all adopted."

"And they’re all vigilantes?" Wally asked, still trying to process everything she was telling them.

"No, actually. Abuse isn't one of us, he prefers to stay home to bandage our cuts and bruises."

Kaldur hummed, "A noble gesture."

"For an eight-year-old? Definitely."

"Eight?" Artemis sputtered. "Is he the youngest?"

"Nope, that title goes to the demon spawn—Ghoul. He's five." Rose held up a hand to silence any further protests. "And before you ask, he isn't allowed out on patrols yet. The boys aren't that stupid."

They sighed in relief. "Man, you had us worried there," Artemis said.

"How long have you known them?" M'gann spoke up.

Rose hummed in thought. "Hmm... Well I've known Jason for probably eight years give or take. I first met him when I was running away from my father, but after helping me out he disappeared. Didn't see him again till a year ago when Spoiler found me bleeding out in an alley and called him. Been living with the crazies ever since."

Connor stared at her in disbelief. "They took you in just like that?"

"They made it a habit of picking up strays," Rose shrugged, grinning at the joke only her family would understand.

Suddenly Nightwing came in, slowly approaching the group. "Well look who decided to join us!" Rose joked, patting a spot on the mat opposite her swords. "Park it right here, 'wing."

Dick frowned slightly, but complied, sitting down a few feet away. Rose rolled her eye at his lack of trust.

"Anything you want to ask me?"

Dick kept his eyes trained on her. "How did Jason and Roy find all these kids?”

“Scarlet, Jason rescued from Pyg. Roy found Stray sleeping between some dumpsters. Spoiler they found during patrol, her Dad was arrested and had no other family. Ghoul and Echo were dropped off on their doorstep. Bluebird's brother got killed in a hit and run a few blocks away from them. Roy said they found her crying over the body. Huntress broke in through one of the windows during the winter after her father abandoned her on the street. Abuse had already spent most of his life at an orphanage, but Ghoul decided that he was better with them and took the boy in. That's basically all there is to it."

M'gann suddenly began sniffling, tears threatening to fall. "T-that's... I can't believe they all went through something so terrible."

Everyone murmured in agreement. Had those kids not been taken in, no, they couldn’t even imagine what would have happened.

Dick felt disgusted with himself. How could he have been so selfish before? These children, each carrying with them neglect and painful memories, had been taken in by Roy and his own brother because they likely reminded the men of themselves. A kid living on the street, fighting for survival day in and day out.

"Do you have pictures of them?" Dick asked softly. "In costume at least, I know you can't share their identities."

Rose smiled and got up to grab her phone. When she sat back down a picture was already pulled up on screen. In it showed Stephanie dressed in her Spoiler attire striking a hero pose on a random rooftop, finger pointing out toward the horizon.

"That's Spoiler. She is such a spaz and has a mean right hook."

Artemis smirked, "I'm guessing you found that out the hard way?"

"She got a little carried away during training."

The next picture is of Tim, sneaking up behind an unsuspecting Steph and Cass who are having a conversation while on patrol.

"Stray's the one in the cat suit and Echo is the one beside Spoiler. Stray came home that day with a massive bruise on his cheek after Spoiler gave him a brick to the face."

"Where the hell did she get a brick?" Wally asked.

"We're still trying to figure that out..." Rose flicked to the next photo, chuckling when she saw what it was of.

It was of Helena and Damian having a standoff, each in a fighting stance and glaring at one another. Colin was in the background looking terrified.

"The girl is Huntress and the little demon spawn across from her is Ghoul. Abuse is in the back there watching the match. I had to break up the fight soon after since Ghoul was about to grab his sword off the wall."

Dick's eyes widened, "You let him use a sword?"

"Calm down there, Nightwing. It is possible to use a sword non-lethally, as in no killing."

"I know what non-lethal means," he grumbled. "But still! Giving a five-year-old a dangerous object? Are you insane?!"

"Yes, I am very insane. I thought you would have figured that out by now?" Rose's grin was feral. "That kid has talent. It shouldn't be wasted on learning to use a flimsy staff or what not. It was his choice of weapon, though. Neither his parents, nor I forced him into it. So. Back. Off."

"I knew we shouldn't have trusted you," Dick growled, rising into a defensive stance.

Suddenly she snorted, then burst out laughing. "Oh god, Jaybird was right! You do have a stick up your ass!" Dick had frozen in shock, along with the rest of the group, watching as Rose continued to shake with laughter. A moment later it stopped abruptly, a dark look now engulfing her face. "But I was being serious before. You will leave them alone until Jason and Roy give the go ahead. If I see you going against this rule then I'm warning you, I have nothing against a little bloodshed and carnage. I won't hesitate to kill you. Understand?"

Rose smiled as they gave her wary nods, "Good. Now back to showing you photos." A tense air filled the room as she continued to flip through her collection. 

The next few pictures consisted of Ghoul mounted on the back of Titus, shouting a battle cry with his sword raised to the heavens. Next showed Bluebird and Arsenal hunched over a drawing table, pouring over blueprints with their backs to the camera. The last one showed Jason and Scarlet playing memory, Speedy's arms wrapped around the man's neck as she observed over his shoulder.

The next few days passed with little to no complication. Before she left, Ravager gave them a feral grin and ominous farewell to go along with it.

"On your next trip to Gotham remember that I'm not the only one keeping an eye on you."


End file.
